Karapatan to AFP: Stop victim blaming

“The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) should stop its habit of blaming the people whose rights are violated in the implementation of its counter-insurgency program, Oplan Bayanihan, especially when the victims are children,” asserted Marie Hilao-Enriquez, chairperson of Karapatan.

The AFP claimed that the 6 year-old Rodilyn Aguirre was killed, and her 4 year-old sister Baby wounded, because of their involvement with NPA activities, specifically in manufacturing improvised explosive device (EID). “These are not only false claims, these are preposterous! Rodilyn and her sister were hit by grenade shrapnel from an M203 launcher. The barangay residents believed that the explosion could only come from the nearby detachment of the 61st IB-PA as they often saw army personnel Willy Faulo brandishing that weapon, ” retorted Hilao-Enriquez.